Halloween gathering on Peel Street

HK celebrates Halloween on the weekend right before Halloween night, and pretty seriously too. I have never seen so many people on my street! There were many man women dressed up as brides, all super tall and all very good looking.

Happy Halloween.

Black rabbit fur cape

Sometimes I don't know or remember when and where I buy my clothes. This is probably one of those I picked up at Bloomingdale's for future use. I am glad I found this in the boxes in storage in DC and brought it back here... I'll try to find good use of it this year for an Anna Wintour moment.

Clear orange RMK manicure

Ohmigosh, this RMK manicure is genius. I have returned from Tokyo and put these on, and it's lasted for 2 weeks without looking haggard at all! You can pick them up at the Narita airport if you're not going into town...

In a shot with a marimekko mouse that my friends had given me.

Natural Nuxe beauty products

I am loving Nuxe all of a sudden, from thinking it was a knock-off of Origins before! I especially like the toner which smells like beautiful roses.

I bought so many at once, because of the smart and super business minded shopkeepers at SASA who coaxed me into buying all this when I only needed an eye cream. But I'm now really happy about it, so thanks to the super business minded shopkeepers :)

An open air backstreet bar in HK

Who would've known so many people gather in the back street, in this little alley in Hong Kong's SOHO. The other day, we discovered this completely hidden place that is accessible from how you go to SONG, a very cozy Vietnamese restaurant that is another backstreet restaurant (I like their softshell crab spring rolls).

It's a nice space adjacent to a construction site, and barely visible from Peel Street and Hollywood Road. The crowd (there must've been 50 people sitting outside) was a very nice mix of HKies and expats, and because the neighbor had complained before, the loudness was just about the right level for me.

It was a lovely evening with two Swedes talking about potato farming...

Bathing in the sun, Repulse Bay in HK

Can you imagine that there is a beach 20 minutes away on a city bus from your home? Repulse Bay is one of the closest from the city in Hong Kong.

I had forgotten how liberating it feels to sit on the beach and just read random current events (yes, even if the water looks toxic). It's been a year since I've last been to a beach, back in Indonesia. I'm determined to do more of this.

HK flower market

Today I paid a visit to the Flower Market Road in Hong Kong. It's closest from the Prince Edward metro station, and you can just walk towards Mongkok station but a little east wards to get there.

I like the route of walking towards the Bird Garden, seeing all the choices of flower you can buy on the way, and on the way back buy your favorite. I picked up a pink and cream striped orchid plant, white "side" flowers (you usually add in a bouquet), and red garbera. The flowers are much fresher and cost almost nothing.

It's hilarious how the Flower Market Street looks nothing but like a fish market. Practical Hong Kong style!

My apartment in DC

Today, I officially parted with my stuff in the U.S. by selling off my last piece of furniture (thanks to a dear friend!), and somehow it feels like a new beginning. It's been 2.5 years since I left for Asia but kept everything in storage thinking that I would be back shortly. But 3 months turned into years, and now it looks like I will be in Hong Kong for a while.

In memory of my old room, I present here my apartment from DC...

Very cool short short film, The Bill

A very cool film I saw on the plane. The ending especially seeps into you...

Adour at the St. Regis Hotel in DC

My freind Catherine and I with a few other girl friends, make it a point to visit expensive restaurants in DC whenever I'm in town. It's always the loveliest occasion, and our choice this time was Alain Ducasse's Adour at the St. Regis Washington.

We ordered the 5-course tasting menu with wine. While the food was nice too, the dessert and the selection of wine that accompanied was really, really incredibly memorable. The dessert with rasberry sorbet and verbena was some light macaroon like thing surrounding the sorbet with a big drop of cream on top. It was so nice I felt like I was in France in the summer!

While this is DC and people have to dress and/or bring their bodyguard to feel important, this is a very relaxing atmosphere. The furnishing is modern but done in a really old school place (the ceiling looked really middle ages). I could imagine there were lots of happy excitement at each table.

Adour
The St. Regis Washington, D.C.
923 16th and K Streets, N.W
20006 Washington, DC, Etats-Unis
(202) 509 8000

New gray suede wedge boots

I swear wedges are the friendliest boots to walk on the cobblestones of DC. I again stupidly brought only high heels to this trip, so I had to run to Georgetown to find myself this pair in order to survive the weeks in DC and NY. I hope I will get a chance to wear this in the tropics too...

Neon pink nails

I should've stolen Hiroko's manicure when I could! I really love them but sadly forgot to note down which one this was.

NYC

Hiroko Ohyama, continued

I found more collage work in Hiroko's apartment in NYC. The bottle in the pink collage is just my addition on top of her work, as apparently it is the key to all collage making...



Her nails were super cute too :)

Moroccan dinner in the Nolita District

My friend Hiroko and I were very lucky to find a perfect little table by the window as we entered Cafe Gitane. This is a small Moroccan restaurant located in the Nolita District in NY. Apparently, you are usually expected to wait for an hour for dinner, so we were very lucky.

We ordered cous cous, some eggplant dish, carrot salad, and an avocado toast that I hear everyone raving about... All very nice dishes that went perfecty with the fruity red wine that we had, to catch up on the last few years of our life. It was a lovely start of my NY trip!




Cafe Gitane
242 Mott St., New York, NY 10012
212-334-9552

Dupont Circle in the morning sunshine

I am taking the bus from DC to go to NYC for the weekend. Dupont Circle where most of these "luxury" buses (for only $50 round-trip!) take off, looked lovely in the morning sunshine. Apparently we are to have beautiful weather over this weekend. Happy long weekend to everyone in the U.S.!

The incredible Rachel Zoe Project

The first thing I did once I arrived in my hotel in DC was to watch Bravo TV, and there it was! The Rachel Zoe Project!

It's probably the most institutionalized that styling could ever get (vs. making the clothes) outside of editorials like Elle and Vogue. As such, everything is taken super serious.

You have to watch it to get what I mean. For example Rachel tells her assistant that he can stand by Anne Hatahway as she changes during the Oscar, and he breaks into real tear for 15 minutes and he can't talk. Rachel really gets that this is the moment of his life.

I remember that in season 1, the same assistant made the biggest mistake of his life of not bringing along nipple hider bandage (or some name of that sort) when test-dressing Cameron Diaz, and he gets the treatment beyond being fired.

I seriously love the show and respect the crazy seriousness of Rachel's work. I think serious counts and makes everything beautiful...

Photo credit: Bravotv.com

Back in DC

It's funny to be back in DC. I thought it would be more depressing with people tightening their wallet. But alas, I went to Georgetown and people are still shopping in frenzy. Americans are bravely supporting their macro economy in the best way they know.

Yesterday and today, I was in Charlottsville for a no-substance work thing. The leaves were starting to turn red and yellow here, and sitting by the lake was breathtaking...

Mika Tsutai's anime plates

I saw about this new artist in the ANA airplane magazine as I flew from Tokyo to DC today. This woman Mika Tsutai created plates that are pieces of anime pages and boxes, on which you can put your lovely food on. I thought it's very smart, and would definitely make your food stand out.

Brief dining stop in Tokyo, at Restorante-mondo

Today I made another brief stop in Tokyo, for a very nice Italian dinner in Jiyugaoka at Ristorante Mondo.

My childhood friend Junko’s brother’s friend’s mother’s friend’s etc etc owns the restaurant. The chef has been very well trained in Italy having been with 3-star restaurants, as well as a very well known Italian in Omotesando, thereafter to start his own place.

The food was a combination of very amazing and delicately prepared dishes and traditional home cooked Italian (Japan portion), all served in a course for US$80. I can’t forget the beef carpaccio that melts in your mouth and the dessert made of watermelon bits and yogurt ice cream (photo above). Mmmmmm…



Everything about this restaurant was very, extremely carefully planned. The plates, the windows opening into the different parts of the artistic garden, and the art work scattered there around were so intricate, including this glass object made for the restaurant by a special artisan to warmly welcome guests.



Restorante-mondo
3-13-11 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
+81-3-3725-6292